The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-07-31
\ PLACID, HAPPY UNION.
THE BRETERs, MEN ARE SATISFIED
UITH THINGS As THEY ARE NOW.

An Association that Ia Gcrmnn Through and
Through. but Wants No More Members
from tho Fatheriaud-Nvhat It has Done.
The most contcntcd workingmcn In New
York belong TO tho Brewers National Union.
Their officers say they have everything they
want now They are satisfied, and all they
wish Is to keep II w. All tho big broweries
hero and In other cities employ union mon.
give them tho union wages. and work tlhm
union hours. There have boon no recent
strikes. and there arc no signs OF any In the fu.
ture. Tho union has plenty OF funds. and tho
officers have on easy time letting tho union
run itself Almost all their duties consist In
investigating tho applicants for admission to
the union and in looking up jobs for idle mems
bers. They are as placid n unfon as thcro is
In New York. With good trade, plenty OF work.
oil the beer they want, and continuance OF
the same blessings In the future they are happy.
The Brewers Union was organized In 1888 at
213 Forsyth street, with seven members. O.
ponner was the first President. 1t has now
twenty-ono unions. ono In every largo city In
tho country. $4,000 members in all. one-
sixth OF whom belong to tho New York union.
There Is not u Now York member, so far as
known, who does not talk German. and there
IRE many who do not understand English. The
majority OF the members were born In Ger
many. and leaving out them and their children
there would DO hardly enough members left to
work a single brewery. So strong is the Ger
man feeling in the union that their paper. the
~. and their constitutions are also printed in
German. no get at the facts In English the
German version must be translated. g.
There il no death. or click benefit in the
union. Such thing is, looked on az source
OF weaknIss as II would hah tha ,d the young
there were sick and death benefit the dues
would have to be increased, which would make
hpy mn ~ eip,lv
the surplus might be greatly depleted. The
dues are IS cents month to tho local union
the ,surpius has .sscamuIated until tie
the Comptroller are the only officers, Each
gets, slS II week. which they could easily earn
union Vi matters. The only expense besides tile
salaries t. which the union is put Is a strike
benefit The strike benefit is 3 unusually high.
The minimum IS IS week, but It may be
raised from that t9 any figure that the union
than the strike benefit and the large surplus
puts tho union in a condition to do this. The
benefits usually paid to men on strike are from
The pni2n, wages Of brewers are SIS and sls
The mon in brewery are divided into two
each Gang working from WbsI t9 3h Tive
was started the average pay OF brewers was
is day. There. were some strikes at fir t, but
turcr would hesitate to oppose it. =, -,
Thoro are auxiliary unions in the brewers
sto S AND the a eoopers four Unions worf
trHse,her each having It's own rules and rates;
members Of these unions used to belong to tho
knights as their foes, The edict against the
of ss ef nG s has srs hut the
Labor want to break up their trade, and as
one OF their officers said: We're against the
Knights of Labor"
opposition to foreign immigration Though
born in Germany themselves they arc opposed
here. Their trade Is i in eaaiIibrum ' now.
There nro enough brewerics to give work to
all the men and enough men to supply all the
would destroy this equilibrium and diSarranga
the trade. There would be lower wages. because
II brewer who now, cannot hire mon except
at union rates. could tl.n draw on the unem-
ployed brewers. There would be longer hours,
and that would mean that more brewers would
would go to pieces That is tho way the lead
ers OF the union argue. and they do not
brewers OF Germany. To do as much as thoy
can to discourage foreign brewers from coming
g hs5s to u mG nsy sse dd bey
cations Iefore tRey viii lei him in. il AZ is
gives value to membership In tho union, and
makes brewer chary Of taking non-union
Louis Herbrand is, the present secretary OF
years ago. and has lived in this, country
hair. a rudy face, and black moustache.
His duties are practically those Of President.
President. is Comptroler. as they call e. He
Il a sort OF sqpeHrTy,isor and walking DELEGATE.
checked fair haired. and young.
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